Who is most to blame for the tragic deaths of Romeo and Juliet?
... ’An envious thrust from Tybalt hit the life Of stout Mercutio and then Tybalt fled But by-and-by comes back to Romeo, Who had but newly entertain’d revenge,’ This shows that once Tybalt had killed Mercutio he felt that he had not done enough to Romeo so he returns in order to try to kill him as he says ‘[Romeo] shalt with him [Mercutio] hence’. This shows how bitter Tybalt feels because he is not happy killing Romeo’s friend but has to kill Romeo as well. Mercutio is to blame as he provokes Tybalt He says ’Tybalt, you rat-catcher’. This shows that Mercutio has contempt for Tybalt. Mercutio only begins to taunt Tybalt after Romeo refuses to meet Tybalt’s challenge. Mercutio reacts to this apparent cowardice by saying ‘o calm, dishonourable, vile submission’. This shows that Romeo is submitting, he is refusing the challenge, he is refusing calmly, calm, and that the refusal is shameful and contemptible. Romeo is to blame as it is his rash actions in killing Tybalt that leads to his exile. After previously tried to prevent a fight, when Tybalt returns after killing Mercutio, he says ‘either thou or I, or both, must go with him.’ This shows that Romeo is now so fixated with the idea of revenge on Tybalt that he has disregarded any thoughts about his own safety and Juliet’s feelings about him killing her cousin. Friar Lawrence is to blame because he marries Romeo and Juliet. Also, after Romeo’s banishment he hides Romeo and helps Juliet to trick her family into believing that she is dead. He does this so Juliet doesn’t have to marry Paris. He says ‘If, rather than to marry County Paris,… Then it is likely thou wilt undertake A thing like death himself to ’scape from it; And if thou darest, I’ll give thee remedy’ This shows he has listened to what Juliet has told him and tells her that if she is willing he will help her. It also shows that he is capable of deceiving the Capulets into believing Juliet is dead, despite the grief it would cause. The Nurse is to blame as she carried messages between Romeo and Juliet and helped them to arrange their marriage without the knowledge of Capulet. She tells Juliet ‘Hie you hence to Friar Lawrence’ cell There stays a husband to make you a wife.’ This shows that the Nurse has had a role in organising the wedding as she is, at least, the messenger that tells Juliet when and where to get married. Fate is a recurrent theme throughout the play and it can be argued that everything in the play was destined to happen. Even in the prologue there is the phrase ‘a pair of sta...